ARTBA Supports FHWA Proposed Pavement and Bridge Standards

ARTBA is supporting a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposal to set minimum national standards for pavement and bridge conditions.

The initiative is the second in a series of three rulemakings mandated by the 2012 “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21) surface transportation law. The goal is to establish a national performance management process to guide improvements on the national highway system.

In comments submitted May 8, ARTBA noted the proposed rule balances both pavement smoothness and an assessment of subsurface conditions and foundations. That’s a key goal of the ARTBA Trans 2020 Task Force, which submitted detailed recommendations for the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the implementation of MAP-21’s many policy reforms.

ARTBA thanked FHWA for following its recommendation to exclude external factors—such as climate change and livability—from the evaluation of highway and bridge conditions. ARTBA’s comments will beposted here.